Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell stack manufacturing method and a manufacturing device.
Background Information
A fuel cell stack is obtained by laminating a plurality of fuel cell modules, which are obtained by laminating a predetermined number of fuel cells, to make a laminate that covers the side faces of the laminate with a chassis, disposing plates on both ends in the lamination direction and fastening them with bolts or the like. The area between a fuel cell and another fuel cell that configure a fuel cell module, as well as the area between fuel cell modules, is sealed so that fuel, oxidizing agents, and cooling water that flow inside of the laminate will not leak. The central portion, when viewing the fuel cell module in a planar view, is a region where fuel gas and oxidizing agents flow and where power generation occurs; therefore, the sealing member cannot be provided to this region, and thus, the sealing member is provided to the outer peripheral part of the fuel cell module.
In this manner, the sealing member is provided only to the outer peripheral part of the fuel cell module; as a result, there are cases in which the thickness of the module in the lamination direction is uneven between the outer peripheral part to which a sealing member is provided and the central portion to which a sealing member is not provided. If there is a difference between the thickness of the central portion and the thickness of the outer peripheral part of the module, there is the risk that a good sealing property cannot be obtained due to the sealing member being insufficiently compressed. Accordingly, the keeping the thickness of the module uniform between the central portion and the outer peripheral part is desirable. As a technique to keep the thickness of the module uniform, for example, there is that which disposes a gap-maintaining structure (a so-called spacer) on the outer periphery of a membrane electrode assembly, which is clamped by a separator, between the membrane electrode assembly and the separator (refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2010-272474).